Legendary Cinematographer Robby Muller at Work in Unusual and Fascinating Masterclass

After hearing both Jim Jarmusch and Paul Thomas Anderson speak so highly of Robby Muller, and how his work as a cinematographer has impacted their work as filmmakers, I felt the desperate need to try find -again- more about Muller. I got more successful this time around with this unexpected video masterclass from Stagehand TV showing Robby Muller not only doing his work but also explaining and commenting his technical and personal choices.

Gold.

The concept of the episode is as follow: two cinematographers,here Robby Muller(Paris,Texas, Dead Man, Dancer in the Dark) and Peter James(Shot Alive!, Rich in Love and Driving Miss Daisy) are given the same script and set constraints to light a scene. The result is as different as it can be, proving once again how each person’s sensibility plays an enormous part in how knowledge and creativity are put in good use.

I was always attracted to stories that had something to say about Life.

“I was always attracted to stories that had something to say about Life. The consequence of that was to try to look for directors and stories that really made sense for me, that really enriched my life too, and that got me thinking about what Life was about. And so, I was rebuked by all the manipulation in film at that time to get people in the cinema, to get box-office. And this conflicts enormously [with me], it is not an atmosphere, it is not a state of mind doing that.”

What Muller says sounds almost romantic in today’s world, where everything is about reaching your audience, making your money back, and digging a big enough whole to get Hollywood’s attention. And yet, nothing has resonated more deeply in me than what Muller says, in recent times. Toward the end of the episode, Muller talks again about what makes him able to deal with such a demanding job, and still find it in him to want to spend the biggest part of his life lighting sets and actors:

It is such a big part of your life doing this job, I certainly asked myself whether doing those films was very important for my life…

“Because it is such a big part of your life doing this job, I certainly asked to myself whether doing those films was very important for my life, did I live my life at that time too? And I couldn’t do that by making products that are geared toward making money because it’s a whole organization and a whole other atmosphere and a whole other standards that just very much conflict with life for me, Life.”

It’s as fascinating to see Muller at work as it is to listen to him talking. He is focused and determined to obtain the best he can with what he’s been given for this masterclass. Here is what he says about the motivation behind his lighting choices, after he spent a good amount of time trying to perfectly lit a telephone the main character reaches to, coming from outside. Here is what he says about the motivation behind his lighting choices:

I didn’t want to break the mystery, to get you out of your dream

“I was looking to create a situation where, the moment the guy goes inside, I didn’t want to break the mystery, to get you out of your dream. So I wanted it to be dark enough so it would be believable, but do it in the cleverest possible way so it would be possible that the light would be there. It is like training in art school. You start with learning to draw every muscle in a person. And I have the old fashion opinion that it is very good to know how to hold your pencil or your brush. When you can do that then you can start making abstractions and still not missing any essential things in it.”

Another moment that should interest all the aspiring-cinematographers here is a detailed list of the lights Robby Muller used to lit the scene with a 3D reconstitution, which should make a lot of heads spins because the majority of us just don’t have access to that much light -and don’t need that much either today.

The last part of the episode shows the difference between the two cinematographers’ work by putting them side to side on screen with a split-screen, which is also a great way to appreciate how the gab between paper and screen can be filed in very different ways. (And if you’re interested about this aspect of creative expression, I’d recommend you watch The Chair)

I know it’s not HD, but the content beats the container here, in my book, it’s a must-watch for both cinematographers and filmmakers:

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Nathalie is a story fabricator and storyteller at heart. She created mentorless.com in 2011 to share content she thought useful to craft and nurture her storytelling and creative skills. To see more about what she does when she is not here, check www.nathaliesejean.com

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